


Sight Seeing

by osunism



Series: Like Real People Do [6]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Date Night, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6894943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/osunism/pseuds/osunism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world makes more sense when packed into the crosshairs of a nice scope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sight Seeing

Amamansa can only focus when the world is viewed through crosshairs. It’s simpler, shrinking it down to the points where the sights meet. Through the scope, everything is regulated to her deep and even breathing, the subtle sway of the world within the enhanced sight. Her finger hovers on the trigger, caressing it with the barest pressure.

The merc’s head comes into focus, oblivious.

Amamansa holds her breath and squeezes the trigger.

The recoil is dampened, ensuring the round hits its mark. In the simple, shrunken world of her scope, a cloud of gore, gristle, and brain matter take over, as the merc’s body spasms and convulses in the final throes of a quick and gruesome death before collapsing.

“Helluva shot.” Zaeed’s voice crackles over the communicator in her ear. “Been hanging around that assassin friend of yours, I see.”

She smiles.

“Maybe.” She says, using her scope to clear the area. “Alright, you’re clear to move in. I’ll cover you.”

“I know you will, sweetheart.” He laughs and Ama laughs too, despite herself. She moves quietly, emulating Thane in every movement, remembering his words to her as he taught her how to move soundlessly amidst a deeper silence of a watchful fortress.

_Ball of the foot first, then heel down._

Ama makes her way through the shadows, clinging to darkness, abhorring the light. Her scope is her sight, and she clears the path quietly, shooting one merc through the head as Zaeed strangles another. They converge in a central crossroads of hallways.

“Looks clear enough,” Zaeed says, “where do you supposed they stashed the data?”

Before Ama can answer, EDI interrupts.

“I have located a large cache of data near the core network, Shepard. Uploading coordinates to your omnitool, now.” Ama’s face is bathed in orange light as she brings up her navigator on her omni tool, a multidimensional schematic of the place. She sees blinking red dots, signifying the core network is heavily fortified.

“Sniping is out, looks like,” Zaeed says, eyeing the map, “but we can flank them here.” He points to a ventilation shaft that empties behind the core network.

“Or maybe we won’t have to face them down at all,” Ama says, “EDI are there alternate routes that will allow me to extract the data unseen?”

“No, Shepard,” EDI says, almost ruefully, “the mercenaries were very thorough in this aspect at least. The core network is in a dead-end chamber in which there is only one way in and one way out.”

Zaeed rubs the scarred half of his face.

“If you’re feeling particularly crazy,” he says, “I’ve got an idea.”

Ama meets his gaze. He’s got that glint in his eye, and there’s a smille on his face. Somehow she knows the nature of this idea.

“I’m listening.” She says. Zaeed explains it to her and she sighs deeply.

“I have calculated that Zaeed’s plan has an 80% chance of success, Shepard,” EDI says, “it may also allow you to extract the data with minimal detection.”

Ama makes a noise that could easily be annoyance.

“Glad to see we’re all in agreement, then.” Zaeed says smugly, “I’ll get the party started.”

* * *

Ama waits behind crates loaded with weapons.

“I’m in position.” She whispers and Zaeed’s laughter answers.

“Be ready,” is all he says and before Ama can answer or confirm, the entire building shudders from an explosion somewhere within it. The doors open and shouting erupts as the mercs pour out, heading toward the sound of the destruction. They left two of their own to guard the core network. Ama slipped into the room before the door shut. She was no in the mood to decrypt locks.

Before the two mercs look up, one already has a bullet in his skull and the other is held in stasis as Ama lifts him and tosses him away, tearing him to pieces with a warp in the process.

“Extracting data, now.” Ama says, “EDI you getting this?” She kneels in front of the large network of drives, her omnitool scanning and uploading the data directly to the Normandy.

“I am, Shepard.” EDI responds calmly, “Zaeed is on his way to you. He is being followed by a large number of mercenaries.”

Ama rolls her eyes. Of course he’d bring the party to her.

The data bar drains as it uploads to the Normandy and Ama turns around just in time for Zaeed to come in, guns blazing behind him, taking out mercs as he joins her.

“Sorry I was late,” he says, “turns out these assholes are touchy about a few blown up shuttles.”

Ama can’t laugh, and instead picks off the mercs as they bottleneck into the room, trying to bear down on the couple as she reloads and ducks behind one of the towers of the network.

“I have disseminated the data, Shepard. Would you like me to send the report?” EDI’s voice is still too calm and Ama yells someting that may or may not be a swear.

The gunfire dies down, smoke swirling like ghostly blood from the bullet holes in the wall. Merc bodies crowd the doorway, preventing it from closing.

“You get what we came for?” Zaeed asks, checking his rifle before reloading. Ama sighs.

“Yeah. Had to be something if they were guarding it this heavily. Ridiculous.” Ama shakes her head. Zaeed claps her on the back of the shoulder.

“And you say I never take you anywhere fun.”


End file.
